


Lost and Found

by softjaebutt



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate History, Angst, F/M, M/M, Master/Slave, Minor Character Death, Multi, Smut, Violence, slight mark/youngjae but it's not in that way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:13:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7766404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softjaebutt/pseuds/softjaebutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark Tuan was found on the road one night, soon being under the watch of another master.</p><p>Im Jaebum lost one slave and all emotions came to a halt...until he found Mark, who will not spill a word about his own past.</p><p>Both lost, but will they be found?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I was supposed to post this after the whole fic was finished, but I'm really really excited for this so I'm taking a risk! (I'm way too excited to the point that I've bulleted everything from start to finish for this along with the sub-points for it-- oops)
> 
> I'd just like to note that my setting/time for this fic is kind of historical, but it does have it's modern twists to it.
> 
> p.s. dedicated to the mark that completes my markbum :") thank you for handling my weird outbursts on this fic and just me in general-- weeps

_“Where did you find him?”_

_“On the road. He was all shriveled up and he’s all bruised too.”_

_“Why did you bring him to me though?”_

_“I can’t harbor any more slaves with me, Jaebum. Please take him into your care. You need another one anyways.”_

_“Fine. Tell Youngjae to get me the first aid kit. Nurse Chorong is out for the week so I’ll have to administer aid.”_

Red. Black. Blue. Purple. Dark colors obstructed his vision, flashing right before his eyes while the injured male lay stationary on the floor.

White. Pure white soon came into view, but that soon turned gray. A face popped up on top of him, eyebrows furrowed while a menace growl purred through their lips. The face disappeared and instead a slender cylindrical figure tapped against ground, sound waves drawn out to the peripherals of the male’s eyes. 

The figure rose up and soon dropped down, but the male suddenly sat up from the mattress he was sleeping on, eyes brimmed with tears and his mouth agape to catch his breath. Bullets of sweat slid down the side of his face with his fingers curled into the diamond-patterned mattress beneath him. He looked around frantically while his eyes trying to search for light within the darkness. He spotted another male who was right beside him, the other’s upper body lifted up slightly to stare at the stranger.

“Wait here,” The male’s groggy voice echoed in the still night and his limbed carried him up weakly to slide the door open. A dark yellow dimmed light sourced from behind and the male looked forward to find two other males with feet facing him. They were sound asleep—they must have been used to the noise or too exhausted to even open their eyes—the perplexed male thought.

“Follow me,” A deep voice murmured from behind and the male turned his back—there was no longer a dark yellow dim—but a lighter subtle color. He rose to his feet, his teeth clenched as he tried to suppress a hiss, pain shooting to his back and abdomen. That was when he noticed—he was shirtless, only to be covered in thick white bandages around the entirety of his waist and the upper arm of his left side. 

His superior stared at him intently, his head moved slightly to the side to notify the slave behind him, “Youngjae, help him to the study room.”

The slave nodded firmly and soon tended to the injured male’s side, his arm wrapped around the other’s chest whilst being careful. “Please, follow me,” His soothing voice comforted the confused male and he tried to get a clearer look of the other as they walked deeper through the hallways.

Despite the shooting pain throughout his body, the male noticed how gentle the other looked. There were no bruises, no physical signs of distress—he looked almost too happy and that concerned him. Other than that, the fellow slave had a soft bed of black hair and pale skin that any master would crave for.

It wasn’t only the slave that stood out but also the design of the house. It was rustic, neutral brown shades coated through the walls and furniture. The only spruces of color were from the plants or paintings that was placed throughout the home. The hallway wasn’t that long either and they took a left turn into the nearest room from where they first were.

“I’m Youngjae. I’ve been a slave for Master Jaebum for ten years now. Please don’t be alarmed from him, he’s usually like this to newer slaves,” Youngjae murmured in the other’s ear before he led him to a dark blue cushion on the floor. His hands were on each side of the new slave’s chest, helping him slowly to sit on his knees.

The new slave’s eyes traveled up to see a rise of level a few feet away from him, a long low table behind his new master. His master was seated on a golden embroidered, deep red fabric pillow, feet crossed over each other. He was already in his sleeping clothes—a white shirt and loose black shorts that ended right above his knees. His jet-black hair seemed a little damp still but his fringe fell beautifully on his left side. The room was only lit slightly, but the new slave could tell how dark the master’s eyes were. They were narrow, sharp, and from the slave’s distance—his pupils looked pure black.

“Youngjae, wait outside,” The master’s deep voice traveled through the study room and Youngjae obliged after he bowed politely and slid the door closed when he exited. His eyes traced back to the slave in front of him, lips pursed slightly as he looked over the bandages. “What is your name?”

The slave’s ears perked up and he straightened up his back as much as he could, almost hissing before he spoke up quietly, “Mark, sir.”

The master hummed softly in the back of his throat and his eyebrows knitted. “You are a foreigner…and a slave?” Mark only nodded in response and his eyes fell to the ground completely, not wanting to look at his new master.

“Interesting. Who is your original master?” His superior questioned only to be answered with pure silence from the slave. The master’s lip quivered into a straight line and he continued to stare at Mark. “Okay, if you do not want to tell me that it is all right. I am also going to assume that when my friend, Jinyoung, found you on the road, it had to do with your original master,” The master stated confidently, the slave flinching in response.

Bingo. The master’s back deflated briefly and he closed his eyes to cool down his growing temper. First, he had to deal with Jinyoung bringing in a new slave to him. Now, he has to deal with a sensitive situation that he hated to approach and even be involved in. He did not want to cause any wars or rivalry between other clans, especially after what happened to his father.

“Now, if Youngjae did not mention this, my name is Jaebum of the Im Family. I will be your new master starting tonight. Youngjae will be assisting you throughout your training, though I am sure you are quite experienced and familiar with this. The room you were previously in is where the sleeping quarters are, but that is also shared with Jinyoung’s slaves. Master Jinyoung lives in the east wing while I reside here in the west wing,” Jaebum explained thoroughly as he kept his eyes on Mark the whole entire time, only being able to see his dark brown locks.

He paused for a moment before his voice rose, startling the other. “You and Youngjae start at seven in the morning. Do you understand?”

Mark nodded slowly while his fingers curled into the flesh of his knees, bowing forward while holding back his pain. “Yes, Master Jaebum.”

Jaebum’s eyebrows knitted still and he called for Youngjae who came inside immediately. “Both of you get your rest. It is nearing midnight and we all need to sleep. Also, Mark, I am ordering to not strain your back or left arm. I do not want my newest slave to have a prolonged injury,” He stood up and both of his slaves bowed deeply, Mark this time only going to his limit. He exited the study room and took a left turn to continue down the hallway.

Youngjae’s hands were in the same spot as he helped Mark up, his warm palms pressed deeply against Mark’s chest. “Let’s go. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” Youngjae said reassuringly as they exited the room.

Mark stared outside as they were walking back, glad that this home was also open in the sense that whenever someone exited a room they would be welcomed by the scenery. He got a glance of the tall gate in the front and the open field with a bed of fresh green grass. It was all too fairytale like for Mark’s eyes, but at least it was the last image he could think of before he rested back in the sleeping quarters.

-

“I want you to find out as much as you can about Mark’s original master and why he was found on the road,” Jaebum spoke as he sat casually on top of the dark red cushion in the dining room, a longer low table placed in the center of the room. He was seated in the middle of the table with Jinyoung right across from him. The sun was barely raised and only a dim light shone through the translucent papers of the shoji (sliding paper, usually used in traditional Japanese homes). 

His friend’s body leaned back, hands planted on the floor as he stared at the other. His plush lips puckered slightly at thought, a sly grin pressed against his features. “You’re interested in him, aren’t you? Mark, you say? Well, right off the bat you know he’s from America. He’s got to be under one of the best international clans,” Jinyoung explained with a sigh forced out at the end. He soon leaned forward with his elbow on the table, cupping his face. “Remember what happened when you got invested in your last slave?” His tone grew darker and lower, his eyes catching onto Jaebum’s flickering pair.

However, Jaebum stared back confidently and replied back in a firm voice, “This one will be different. Just find the information, okay?”

Jinyoung chuckled and soon crossed is arms on top of the table, a playful reply lightening up the mood, “I’m gonna need a little payment though.” Jaebum raised an eyebrow and grinned, only to receive a simple nod. 

“Then I’ll give your favorite restaurant a call. I’ll have them reserve a private room for you and someone to have a nice dinner. My treat,” Jaebum whispered before Jinyoung’s face relaxed with a wide grin.

“You got yourself a deal then, Im Jaebum.”

The shoji opened up to reveal Youngjae, Mark, and one other servant. Mark carried a polished woodened tray in his hands and he stared at the floor once again, avoiding eye contact with his master. He followed his steps with the fellow servant beside him who was also carrying a tray, but Mark walked around the table to get towards Jaebum’s side. He kneeled down and placed the tray in front of him with his hands trembled as he tried to pour a cup of tea.

Jaebum clenched his jaw and his right hand soon latched around Mark’s wrist, stopping any further movements. They met gaze and Jaebum’s cold one pierced through Mark’s fearful orbs. “It is okay, Mark. You are doing just fine,” He reassured—a contradiction to how he appeared. He squeezed Mark’s wrist and reluctantly let go, his hand pressed down onto his own thigh.

Jinyoung stared at the two and raised an eyebrow, thanking the servant before he took a sip out of his tea. Mark paused in his actions for a moment before he continued on his movements, bowing in his position and then standing up to walk towards the door. All three servants bowed and Youngjae closed the shoji, leaving the two masters alone to eat their breakfast.

Mark breathed out a sigh of relief and ran a hand through his brown locks. Youngjae patted his shoulder and smiled, “You did just fine, Mark hyung. C’mon, let’s go eat breakfast. Our dining hall is down this hall and part of Jinyoung’s wing.” The older followed the fellow servant and his eyes scanned around the home again.

He came to a conclusion that there were [four buildings](https://appleeden.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/20080922_75c09763fe1f734a2082vz1ni1fcstah1.jpg?w=640&h=507) that connected into a square. The east wing is Jinyoung as mentioned earlier: the servants’ free quarters, Jinyoung’s bedroom, a small guest room, and the bathroom. In the north wing consisted of two study rooms on the two ending sides and in the middle is a dining room that is fit for more than a dozen people. The west wing consisted of Jaebum’s areas: the servants’ resting quarters, Jaebum’s bedroom, another guest room, and his own bathroom as well. Finally, the south wing was separated in the middle by a gate—somewhere that he hasn’t been able to explore yet. However, he knew it wasn’t the end of the shared home—there were more areas. However, the left side contained the kitchen while the right side consisted of a so-called storage room.

“So you were Master Jaebum’s servant since you were 11 years old?” Mark questioned as all the servants sat at separate small tables that could fit only two people. He took a bite out of one of the side dishes and stared at Youngjae across from him. The younger nodded before stuffing vegetables into his mouth, eyes still curved upwards. “Yup. We grew up together really. He really matured,” He replied with his mouth still stuffed with food.

Mark nodded slowly as his chopsticks poked at the food. Youngjae rested his elbow on the table and took another bite, his voice calm and almost lulled. “Don’t worry about Master Jaebum. I’m not sure what you went through before coming here…but you’re in good hands now.” The older smiled warmly and took a huge bite, both weariness and reassurance mixed.

“Now that Master Jaebum finally has another slave, he can be always attended to now so it’s a huge help. I’ll let you follow Taehyung hyung while I attend to Master Jaebum. Today it’s landscaping so the lawn has to be cut, unwanted pebbles must be put back, and other stuff. After lunch we can switch so you can be more comfortable around him,” Youngjae continued on while Mark started to zone out the younger’s words, only nodding in agreement.

-

“You made Mark do the landscaping? Youngjae, he’s still injured,” Jaebum groaned as he sat at his desk, the younger seated beside him at the table. Youngae’s eyes dropped down and he bowed his head, apologizing softly. The older glanced at him and sighed, a hand reached out to ruffle his hair. “It’s okay…Besides, I’m quite curious. How’s he doing so far?”

Youngjae’s head lifted and he grinned immediately, raising a thumb up. “Mark hyung is doing great. He follows instructions well, but he must be nervous since at breakfast…” His voice trailed off and he looked away again, a hand brought up to rub the back of his neck. “I wonder what happened…”

Jaebum placed his pen down and stared at him, “We’ll figure this out. Something happened to Mark…and I’m disappointed at how his master treated him.”

Meanwhile in Jinyoung’s study room, the master grabbed a book from the bookshelf and sat down back at his table, his slave seated at his side. “Jimin, I want you to contact Jackson and tell him to get the car ready. We may need to go out,” Jinyoung said as he adjusted his glasses, flipping through the pages.

Jimin stood up and bowed, walking outside to notify the bodyguard of the agenda. He flipped through the pages quickly before his index finger lay upon a line, tongue swiped out before a huge grin took over his face. “Got it. Jaebum, you better make that reservation soon.”

After lunch, Mark hesitantly entered Jaebum’s study room to be welcomed with his master’s back. He stood there for a moment before he moved closer to the cushion in the middle of the room, his knees about to fall down. However, Jaebum lifted up his right arm and beckoned the slave with his two fingers. “Come here, Mark,” He said softly before his two fingers pointed to the cushion beside him. 

The brown haired nodded and rushed to his master’s side, sitting on his knees with his fingers fumbled with the fabric of his black shorts. His eyes stared the dust on the table and with his peach long sleeve shirt he wiped the dust off quickly. Jaebum turned a page in his book and crossed his arms against his chest, eyes not leaving his book. “Mark, how old are you?”

“24 years old, Master Jaebum,” Mark replied quickly and quietly. “What year?” Jaebum continued before soon realizing that Mark was a year older. Silence formed between the two—one that created much distance even though the two of them were less than arm-width apart.

Mark glanced over at Jaebum’s side profile, not denying the fact of how handsome he was. However, he knew looks are very deceiving—and he can’t trust too quickly. “Is Youngjae and I your only slaves, Master Jaebum?”

Jaebum raised an eyebrow and finally met his eyes—they were warm yet nothing about those light brown eyes showed comfort. “Please, just call me Jaebum or drop the whole name and state your words,” He advised before continuing on. “But yes, you and Youngjae are my only slaves. Jinyoung and I find no means of having more than two. Having more would cause quite a ruckus.”

Something boiled within Mark. He was glad that Jaebum and Jinyoung had those morals and beliefs, but there was something strange at the same time that laced behind his words. “You are a master though…” He whispered, almost as if it was supposed to be to himself, but the superior reacted to his words.

“You are supposed to be aggressive. Slaves are supposed to be your tools. The more tools you have and the more you use—the more powerful you are,” Mark continued on as his eyes were widened and fixed on the table, his tone robotic.

Jaebum slammed his book closed, the back of the book shown instead of the cover. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and he rested his left forearm on the table with his upper body twisted towards the older. 

“Have you ever thought about this famous saying though, Mark? Quality over quantity,” He paused before he stood up with the book in his hands, walking towards the bookshelf to return the book back.

“Besides, the more tools you use does not exactly mean you are more powerful. I would rather have a shed of sharp tools than one mixed with the dull ones,” He trailed off before his fingers scanned over the many decorative spines. He grabbed a book and flipped through the contents, his back faced towards the slave.

Mark froze on the spot with his lips parted ever so slightly. For one who was so used to being taught a lesson physically—he felt that familiar metallic taste linger on his tongue, and that was from the result of Master Im Jaebum’s words.

 -

“Mistress Suji is currently in a meeting, Master Jinyoung. I can let her know of your coming and a meeting can be arranged,” An elder spoke as he stood in front of the main gate to talk to Jinyoung and his bodyguard. 

Jinyoung sighed softly and nodded, upper body soon bent to show respect towards the elder. Just as he was about to turn his back around, the doors behind the main gate opened to reveal a tall female. She had luscious black wavy hair that fell mid-back, makeup that was subtle with the appearance of a bold red lipstick, and eyes of a cat. She wore a business skirt and a white blouse—one that many women would envy from the mistress.

“Jinyoung-ah,” An alto voice echoed before the male faced the female, both of their lips spread into a warm smile. The elder and Jinyoung’s bodyguard bowed politely towards the mistress, only garnering that same genuine smile. “What are you here for?” She asked as she stood beside the elder.

“I can’t just say hi to one of my closest friends?” He playfully teased before Suji rolled her eyes with hands rested on top of her hips. “You know, usually when you visit it’s because you need something, so just spill it.”

The male acted out a faint sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Well, who could forget that your grandfather was the owner of the very famous pier here in South Korea?" 

Suji took a step forward closer to the male, her chin lifted up slightly to stare at him. Her voice softened, teeth almost glued through the words she muttered. “What exactly do you need, Park Jinyoung?”

“Records of all the ships that carried slaves within the past 30 years…” Jinyoung replied back, making sure that his pronunciation was clear for the female to sink in each word. Her eyes widened and she crossed her arms, a small hum passed through her lips. “Give me a week to gather all the documents. Just remember though—my grandfather also shared the property with the Shin Clan. You will be under surveillance.”

Jinyoung shrugged his shoulders and soon gave a thumbs up, wrinkles formed beside his eyes. “No worries at all. I’ll see you again in a week then, Suji-yah. I owe you,” He said before he turned away, walking towards the black Volkswagen.

“Remember what you said, Jinyoung,” She cautioned before the car drifted off, leaving the female huffing out a breath of hot air.

The male leaned against the back seat and his eyes closed with his head rested on the headrest. “What excuse am I gonna have to come up with now?” His bodyguard sat on his left, his stoic face soon turned soft once he looked at his superior.

“Research—though that’s not really an excuse,” His bodyguard said with a small chuckle, causing Jinyoung to groan at the answer. “C’mon, Jackson, I’m serious here…" 

Jackson’s eyes widened and he frowned slightly, “Research. That’s always an excuse if you think about it. You’re Park Jinyoung, the son of an anthropologist and a well-known professor. Why would they be suspicious over it?”

He had a point—his father was an influential man that changed the school system. Research was the perfect excuse, but sometimes one too many turns to be old and suspicious in itself. 

“I’m just afraid if they find out…That’s all,” Jinyoung muttered as he looked out the window before a strong hand landed on top of his knee. He glanced down at the hand before up to Jackson, his usual carefree features transformed into one that was serious.

“That’s why I’m here, Jinyoung-ah. I’m your bodyguard, remember?” He said firmly before that goofy smile of his returned and Jinyoung chuckled, his hand soon rested on top of the other.

-

A week passed by and despite Mark being more comfortable and confident in his actions as a slave, he lacked the communication skills and rapport with Jaebum. It didn’t anger the master, but felt like Jaebum himself was doing something wrong to make him act that way.

Jaebum lied down on the mattress in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling, dark brown orbs transcending off into the empty space before him. 

_“Why did you do that?!” Jaebum screamed as he kneeled down in defeat, back hunched, and his hands trembled in fear. He swayed the body back and forth that was lying down horizontally in front of him,_

_A weak smile was brought upon the other’s lips, splotches of blood surrounded his face, and a hand reached out with much struggle to cup Jaebum’s cheek. “You know why…”_

Jaebum closed his eyes tightly and his teeth gritted together while his hand clutched into a fist, punching the space beside him. “You’re so stupid…” He muttered to himself before an airy laugh escaped his lips. 

The door slid open quickly to reveal Youngjae with his eyes wide open in alert, mouth parted slightly. “Hyung…Mark hyung…He’s crying in his sleep…He’s sleep talking…And Taehyung and Jimin are trying to calm him down but—‘”

Jaebum quickly rose to his feet and both males strode towards the sleeping quarters. When the door opened, Jaebum’s eyes were glued to Taehyung and Jimin trying to bring Mark’s cries to a minimum. Mark’s body turned left and right, fingers curled into his blankets, and the tears continuing to stream down his face.

“I am sorry….Please…” Mark cried forcefully as his actions repeated. Jaebum knelt down and soon pinned Mark’s shoulders down, a sense of guilt washed over him as he saw Mark’s face shadowed with terror. 

Jaebum screamed his name while shaking his shoulders back and forth, trying to sense reality back into the slave. However, the slave didn’t budge, only to cry out more apologies in his dreams. The master exhaled and he pinned his shoulders down once more, yelling loud enough for Mark to hear. “You did not do anything wrong! You are forgiven!”

The cries abruptly stopped and Mark’s eyes flickered open, the male immediately rising up into a seated position. Jaebum kept his hands on Mark’s shoulders and sat up with him, their eyes connected to each other for a brief moment before Mark slapped his arms away. “I-I am—‘”

Jaebum’s eyebrows knitted tightly together and he brought his hand up nonetheless to wipe away the elder’s tears. “Do not…Do not say anything else.” Mark’s eyes dropped down again and he nodded slowly, letting the tears dry out on his face. 

The master stood up and he looked at all four slaves, “Get some rest. I will tell Jinyoung that you guys can wake up at 7:30 instead.” The subordinates nodded as they all got back to their own mattress. However, Jaebum’s gaze lingered at Mark as he walked towards the exit. “And Mark, do not expect me to leave this matter alone. Eventually we will have to talk about this.” With that statement, he shut the shoji closed only to leave the darkness in their sights.

Youngjae turned to Mark to place his hand on the elder’s shoulder for a reassuring squeeze. “Hyung. We’re all here for you.”

The next day went by too normally and Jaebum did not bring up the topic to Mark at all, even when they were alone together in his study room. All Jaebum did was mutter a few words and Mark obliged to whatever he said.

That night, Jaebum and Jinyoung were out due for a party at another clan’s area, leaving the slaves to have their own free time. Mark sat at the edge of the north wing’s hallway, looking up at the open sky. Mixture of blue, purple, and black painted the sky with dots of silver randomly placed alongside the vast canvas. Mark always had an unsettling feeling pitted at the bottom of his stomach whenever night entered. He never got to see the stars or the bright moon that would light up the night sky.

_Cold, bumpy, and wet. They were all adjectives that described Mark’s current location. His hot breath hit against the stones and up ahead he saw pure darkness with no light at all. However, his eyes weakly traveled up to see the bright moon staring straight at him. He laughed to himself with the amount of strength he had left before his eyes closed shut. Despite a bright light overtaking the darkness, Mark soon fell into a deep sleep._

“Mark hyung?” Youngjae called out as he walked from the sleeping quarters, taking a seat to Mark’s right. “How’ve you been doing?”

The elder hummed quietly for a moment and glanced at the younger, his lips quivered into a small smile. “Better I guess…I just don’t know why I keep thinking of it…”

Youngjae had no knowledge of Mark’s past, but he decided to not press onto the matter. He knew that Jaebum was already trying to figure that out himself, but if Mark ever did tell him one day, Youngjae will be the rock that Mark should lean on

“Has Master Jaebum ever hit you within those ten years of serving him?” Mark asked out of the blue before Youngjae’s eyes widened. The perplexed male blinked a few times before he chuckled lightly, head dropped with his fingers curled into the edge of the woodened material he was seated on.

Youngjae sighed and nodded before he looked up at the sky. “Once…But he never did ever again.”

_“He slept through the whole day without ever tending to you, son. That is disrespectful and wrong on his duty!” His father retorted as they were in the first building of the houses. Jaebum was seated beside his father in his father’s study room while Youngjae kneeled down on the floor on the lower level._

_He was merely 14, a boy who was simply going through puberty, while Jaebum was at the age of 17, an almost full-fledged adult. Jaebum looked over at Youngjae’s apologetic face and he knew that it wasn’t right. “Father, I am sure Youngjae did not mean it. Besides, he was working longer hours than the rest of the slaves yesterday. He deserves the—‘”_

_“No slave deserves the right to sleep longer just because they worked longer,” His father beamed as he glared holes into Jaebum. Jaebum gulped and looked over at him, “Father, he is only a teenager—“_

_“And it is best if he learns young. It is your choice how you strike him, Jaebum. You may use either the paddle or the whip. If you want to be a good master, follow what I say.” His father’s voice lowered and Jaebum slowly rose to his feet._

_Youngjae’s eyes looked up for a moment to find Jaebum’s back faced towards him, but he could tell just how regretful he was. He dropped his head back down again and the nails of his fingers dug into the flesh of his knees, imprints already growing deep._

_He could hear the creak of the wood beneath him even though the tatami mats covered it. Youngjae licked his lips and closed his eyes tightly as he felt the presence of Jaebum hovered over him. “Remove your shirt, Youngjae,” Jaebum’s deep voice startled the younger, but he did the action nonetheless, hands quivered in fear._

_Youngjae glanced at the item that was held in his right hand—he chose the paddle. It was made of pure wood and though it could resemble a ping-pong paddle, the thickness was much larger and seemed heavy in the master’s hand. It was much better than the whip—but in reality, could one actually be better than the other?_

_The slave’s jaw clenched for the impact and his ears could catch the air cut by the paddle. Before the paddle came in contact with the slave’s back he could hear the soft mutter of an apology._

_A huge slap echoed the four walls and a thud followed soon after with a scream. Youngjae’s cheek slammed on top of the floor while his back hunched over in pain. Tears already formed in between his eyelids, the pain radiating first at his back and then to his arms._

_“One for each hour, Jaebum.”_

_“That is seven in total, father!”_

_“Then you have six more.”_

_Youngjae shook his head ever so slightly in disbelief but was stopped abruptly once another hard slap was delivered to another part of his back. His body twitched at the contact and his cries were louder this time as he took each new hit._

_By the fifth hit, Youngjae’s knees finally gave out and he lay there lifeless on top of the floor. His nails dug into the floor this time and the tears streamed down his face. The warm tears that fell out of his right eye dragged down the bridge of his nose and conjoined with the tears of his left eye._

_His face moved instead and he rested his forehead straight onto the floor, his whole body lifted up for a moment in excruciating pain on the final hit. He could feel each muscle in his back tense up in pain or the bones that stood out from his spine from the contact._

_Youngjae knew. He knew that if Jaebum was to let him off easy or that Youngjae wasn’t showing enough pain, his father would add more onto the punishment. He could hear the floor creak again, this time heavier steps approaching him._

_His father’s voice obstructed all thoughts but still brought the hairs of Youngjae’s skin up to a stand. “Your mother would be so disappointed in you…” The voice echoed through his ears and Youngjae’s sobs were more prominent this time. He mourned out his pain, his guilt, and his remorse over the matter._

_Jaebum’s father left the room only to leave Jaebum and Youngjae alone. Jaebum kneeled on the floor in pure silence, listening to all of the released pain and anger from Youngjae. As soon as he knew his father was at a distance, Jaebum dropped the paddle onto the floor and assessed Youngjae’s back._

_His back was pure red and he could tell that Youngjae was going to be in pain for quite a while. He could even imagine the bruises that Jaebum inflicted on the younger. It annoyed the master to the greatest extent and all Jaebum could do was to drop his head down._

_“Youngjae…I’m so sorry…” His voice cracked as Youngjae continued sobbing. The older moved over to where Youngjae’s head was and he ran his hand through his hair. “Can you sit up please?”_

_The younger groaned in pain until he rose up as much as he could with the strength he built up. His eyes were red and tears continued to paint his features, lips quivered and bitten on. Jaebum’s features scrunched up in his own pain and he brought a hand up to wipe his tears until his palm cupped the younger’s cheek._

_“Your mother would not be disappointed in you, I know so. She loves you very much, Youngjae, and she’d do anything to protect you. Hyung will never do this to you again, okay? No matter what, I won’t let it happen,” Jaebum whispered. Youngjae nodded slowly until more tears escaped his eyes._

“But that’s impossible right…? His father must have found a reason to punish you…All masters try to do that,” Mark muttered in disbelief as Youngjae told his story. He was glad that Jaebum chose a lesser evil and that he showed his guilt towards Youngjae. He was even more angered at the fact that his father approved of such an action to a young boy. However, the last statement that Jaebum vowed to say questioned Mark’s beliefs.

Youngjae nodded again and dug his toes against the grass beneath them. “His father did…He found the simplest things to punish me for. One day though,” He whispered before a hand was brought up to rub the back of his neck.

“Jaebum went against his father’s word. He said he didn’t want to multiple times and he said that if he wanted to punish Youngjae then he would take the punishment instead…I regretted it, you know? Almost every week I would watch Jaebum walk back to his room late at night…He’d either have bruises on his back or his waist bandaged up. Whenever he was healed there was a new one branded right on him…I hated myself for it. I should have been the one in his place.”

Mark’s posture was now slouched and his eyebrows scrunched together as one quickly. “He wanted to protect you…You must really mean something to him then.”

“Not as much as the slave we had before you—‘” Youngjae’s eyes widened and he slapped his forehead immediately afterwards. He laughed awkwardly and glanced at Mark, a lopsided grin overtaking his features. “Please forget I said that…Jaebum doesn’t like it when I bring him up at any point—‘”

Mark raised an eyebrow and saw how Youngjae tried to cover it up. “Another slave…He cherished another slave more than you…? He cherished more than one slave?” He was truly stumped on the situation. Why is Jaebum so different than the other masters? Cherishing his slaves, sticking up for them, going against his father’s word—It was nothing compared to what Mark has experienced.

Youngjae cocked his head to the side and reached a hand out to pat Mark’s back. “Hyung, Jaebum is a good guy. He’s like my older brother, nothing else. If you warm up to him, he’ll warm up to you too. He’s trying his best to get to know you,” He reasoned before he rose up to his feet.

“I’m gonna get some rest now. Don’t stay up too late,” He cautioned before he started to go back to the sleeping quarters. Mark hid his lips and turned his head towards the younger, “Where is Jaebum’s father now?”

Youngjae stopped in his tracks right before he stepped in the room, a calm tone voiced out in reply, “He’s up there with my mother now…And I pray that every day they don’t meet up there…Good night, hyung.”

Mark bid the younger good night as well before he continued seeking out into the night.

Only fifteen minutes after did Mark decide to go back into the sleeping quarters to get some rest. However, a distant laugh interrupt the stillness of the night and his ears perked up. It was a lighthearted and airy laugh—one that caught Mark’s attention. He waited by the pillar until he saw three figures approach Jaebum’s wing.

“Hey, Im Jaebum, stop it. You’re going to wake everyone up,” Jinyoung’s voice could clearly be distinct and overpowered by Jaebum’s uncontrolled laugh. Once they approached his bedroom, Mark could see Jaebum being hauled over with Jinyoung on the left and Jackson on the right.

Jaebum laughed and hiccuped as his arms were around the two’s shoulders, his head tipped towards Jackson’s shoulder. “C’mon guys, let loose. It was Yoongi’s birthday, we all had to cool down!" 

“You cooled down just a little too much,” Jackson muttered under his breath before he spotted Mark, and his whole face brightened up with a smile. “Hey, Mark! Can you help us out here? Your master is a handful.”

Mark nodded slowly and quickly approached the party. Jackson opened the shoji and turned on the lights, helping Jaebum step inside. “Ah, perfect, can you grab a glass of water? I’ll tuck him into bed,” Jinyoung asked and the slave immediately tended to the order.

This was the first time ever in his whole life that he would enter a master’s bedroom. Was it any different from a slave’s room? Obviously, it must be bigger but were there any other luxuries?

Mark walked inside the room with his hand occupied with the glass of water. He saw Jaebum laughing while he lied down on his mattress, Jinyoung trying to restrain the other from moving around too much. The master groaned and slapped his shoulder, “Fine. You wanna move? Sit up then and drink your damn water.”

The male quickly went to Jaebum’s side and kneeled down, letting his master take gradual sips. “You drink that whole glass, okay? Good night,” Jinyoung ordered before he looked at Mark, patting his knee gently. “Please take care of Jaebum. I have other things to tend to right now." 

The slave nodded and told Jinyoung and Jackson good night before the two of them left. He soon turned his head back and his neck retracted from Jaebum’s close proximity. Their noses could have touched at this very moment if Mark leaned forward just a tad bit more. His eyes widened and he thrust the glass out in front of him defense, “P-Please drink the water." 

Jaebum just stared at the older before he dropped down onto the mattress, laughing again as he stared at the ceiling. “You’re a tough person to crack, Mark. I just wanna get to know you but you don’t tell me anything…”

Mark licked his lips and placed the glass of water down, “Well, it has only been a week. I cannot open up that easily towards others, I hope you understand.”

“I understand…But you’re so mysterious…It makes me keep going back for more,” He admitted before something turned in Mark’s stomach. His own master wanted to _know_ about him? He should have known—Jaebum cared for his other slaves so what makes Mark any more different than the rest? Yes, his past is different but he was still a slave in the end.

“Come on, you are too drunk, please drink the water,” Mark said as he was determined to get this task finished at least. He grabbed Jaebum’s arm and tried pulling him up to a seated position. Jaebum only slouched upwards before a hand came in contact with Mark’s warm cheek, lazy eyes glancing at Mark’s tired ones. 

The master chuckled again and his thumb drew circles on the smooth flesh, “You have nice eyes, Mark. They seem very clear.” Usually, Mark would shudder or move away immediately from these types of actions. However, it warmed his heart from Jaebum specifically. Jaebum had no means of doing wrong and even if he was found in that position, Mark would think that he would rationalize over these situations.

Mark gazed into his master’s eyes. His was clouded instead—not from the alcohol, but from another source. His eyes were almost too dark and Mark wondered what caused Jaebum’s troubles. The two relished in their silence together before Mark snatched the glass of water and placed it between Jaebum’s lips. “Please, drink…”


	2. 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark Tuan was found on the road one night, soon being under the watch of another master.
> 
> Im Jaebum lost one slave and all emotions came to a halt...until he found Mark, who will not spill a word about his own past.
> 
> Both lost, but will they be found?

The next three days went by smoothly, but Mark seemed to have known quite a bit more about Jaebum. He was the only child who liked to be alone most of the time, but Jinyoung has always been a close childhood friend. Jaebum hasn’t tried Western food yet, but Mark made sure not to tell him that he was more than exposed to those types. He also learned that Jaebum liked writing, lyrics in particular. Mark would say that he’s more comfortable with his master now, but he still kept everything a secret.

That night, Jinyoung stayed up late in his room, a table propped up as he sat on his mattress. He was crisscrossed and his elbows were propped up on the table. His glasses rested at the edge of his nose and a yawn escaped out of his lips. Jinyoung has been flipping through the pages endlessly ever since he received the stack of papers from Suji last week.

Not only was he determined for that dinner with his special someone, but ever since that night he saw Mark laid on the cold stoned path something was strange. He ruffled his hair and groaned in frustration at the amount of slave ships that entered South Korea. Not only were they slaves, but there were also clans that started moving to their land.

He grabbed his cup of tea and took a sip before he flipped through the papers again. “Let’s see…Jaebum said that Mark is a year older so I should look at least 25 years back…”

The shoji opened up and his head snapped up to see Jackson already loosening up his tie with n exhale. “Everything’s locked up,” Jackson confirmed as he placed his tie off to the side before he sat down beside Jinyoung on a separate mattress. Jinyoung just nodded and flipped another page, his index finger dragged down the paper as he tried searching for names.

Jackson sighed before he lied down on his stomach, his face turned to the left to study Jinyoung’s face. They rarely talked ever since Jinyoung received the records on the pier. Jackson wasn’t mad since he knew Jinyoung was such a determined and hard working person, but he lacked the attention as both a bodyguard and a person. His left hand reached out to pat Jinyoung’s knee until he got the other’s attention and a frown emitted his features. “Jinyoung…It’s late already, get some rest.”

The other shook his head and propped his glasses up without even sparing a glance, “I can’t. I really want to find out this information.”

Jackson’s whole face contorted into frustration and he suddenly sat up, eyes glared at the one who was younger by just months. “What’s so important about this anyways? Mark’s a slave, that’s all that matters. Besides, why doesn’t Jaebum find this out instead? That is his slave anyways,” He voiced out with jealously and anger mixed in his tone.

Jinyoung’s eyes widened and before any of them could process what happened, Jinyoung’s palm came in harsh contact with Jackson’s right cheek. The two of them stared at each other intensely and Jinyoung’s mouth was left open at what he did. However, he couldn’t back out easily. “That’s all that matters? Mark is a slave, yes, but he is a person too. Jaebum and I are both clearly concerned about his past, so it’s both of our responsibilities. Don’t try to blame Mark about my doings.”

Jackson scoffed and stood up to walk towards the shoji, “Whatever. I’m gonna stay on guard tonight. Have fun I guess.” He exited the room leaving Jinyoung alone.

 _What is up with him now days? He knows how busy I am with this…Why can’t he understand that I’ll be up late and so focused?_ Jinyoung thought as he soon dropped back down on his mattress, wanting to clear his head before doing any more work. 

“If only he knew that I’m doing this for us…” Jinyoung sighed in frustration.

 -

The next couple of days went by with Jinyoung not finding anything relevant to Mark’s past. He only went through three years of records to find no one named Mark and only few American clans. Mark had to be here for at least a decade to have such good Korean vocabulary and communication skills, Jinyoung thought out. Nonetheless, the male kept working despite the fact that Jackson was still ignoring him.

Mark walked to the north wing that day and entered the study room to find no one inside. He blinked a few times and rushed to where he saw Jimin and Taehyung tending to the garden on the lawn. He approached the two and asked where Jaebum went only to be directed to the first building.

He blinked a few times and walked towards the entrance, knowing that this is his first time to ever leave the main building. When he left the building he was entered with an almost exact replica of the last. There were four wings again and now Mark is in the north wing once again. He took a moment to process the layout and figured out that the south wing were more for the bodyguards since he could clearly see Jackson talking to those who were dressed like him.

Just as Mark was completely lost in what to do he heard a grunt from the east wing and his feet immediately led him to the source. The shoji was half open to reveal a punching bag in between Jaebum and another male. Mark’s eyes widened as he saw his master shirtless with only black sweatpants donned.

“Another set, go!” The other male shouted and he soon found Jaebum punching the object in front of him. Mark couldn’t deny that the other looked attractive doing such a sport, but he knew that what he was doing at the moment was strange.

As the male was about to turn around, the other male caught sight of the brown haired male and he chuckled out loud. “Seems like you got a fan,” The other male said which stopped the other two in their tracks. Jaebum stopped with heavy breathing, hand brought out to stop the swinging punching bag in front of him. He looked diagonally to find Mark with his back turned at the entrance and he laughed softly.

“Not a fan, that’s my slave, Mark,” Jaebum corrected until his slave turned around and bowed politely towards the two. “Ah, a new slave, huh? Glad you finally got another one.”

Jaebum chuckled and looked at the nervous male, “Mark, can you get two glasses of water please? Thank you.”

Mark rushed over to the kitchen back in the farther building and then returned to the room in just mere minutes with two full cups of water. He handed the drinks to the two parched males and then kneeled down by the entrance in case they needed anything else.

Jaebum sat down with his knees slanted at an angle, half of his cup already empty as he stared at the punching bag. It was his stress relief from all of the work. He had meetings and money to balance out with the other clans to keep anything from going haywire. It was also his form of self-defense—something that he kept up ever since he was a little kid. His father encouraged him not to learn these lessons, as that is what bodyguards are for, but clearly his father was wrong.

“Maybe I should come by more often. My slaves don’t look cute like yours,” His friend voiced out as he sat beside Jaebum with a playful grin emitted on his features. It was as if Mark wasn’t even there and he was left uncomfortable in the situation. 

Jaebum scoffed and rolled his eyes quickly before he stared firmly at his friend, “I know what you’re thinking, Sho. I’m not selling him.” Mark’s eyes widened at the statement and he straightened up his posture. _Sell…me? Not again…_ Mark thought as he bit down on his bottom lip to stop quivering. 

“C’mon Jae, I sold you Hongbin. It’s a fair trade,” Sho reasoned and Mark’s ears perked up once again. _Hongbin…? Was that the slave here before me?_  

He glanced over at Jaebum who was frozen and his eyes glued to the glass in front of him. Jaebum laughed and raised an eyebrow; “I paid you double of what Hongbin was worth. Besides, he _chose_ to come with me.”

Sho clicked his tongue and took a gulp out of his water, then looking over at Mark. The slave came in eye contact and swallowed thickly at the sight. His stare was much more harsh—narrow too. It was much different to Jaebum’s strong yet warm eyes. “Alright, alright, that was fair,” Sho whispered before he swung the liquid around in his glass. “But if I kept Hongbin…He still would have been here…”

Jaebum hung his head and clenched his jaw at the memory, his voice soon rough and low, “He did that to himself…I told him not to…” He exhaled deeply and stood up to walk over to Mark, placing his empty cup beside him. “One more round, Sho…And we can call it a day." 

 _Hongbin…So that’s his name. I wonder what happened…Sho said that he still would have been here if Hongbin wasn’t under Jaebum’s care. Did he do something wrong? Disappear? He can’t be…dead. right?_ Mark’s head spun at the thoughts of Jaebum’s leadership and of this mysterious slave. However, he continued on with his duties for the day.

After a long day of landscaping and serving, the sun soon slept and the night awoke with a beautiful half moon. Youngjae told Mark that whenever Jaebum works out his back would always be in pain, so to let Mark experience that, the younger ordered Mark to tend to Jaebum’s needs.

Mark entered Jaebum’s room with a small knock and as he walked inside he found Jaebum on his bare stomach, back fully exposed to him. The master hummed lowly and moved his head slightly to see the slave, “Ah. Mark. Glad you are here. My back hurts real bad.”

The slave rubbed the back of his neck and tipped his head to the side. “Do you want me to get you any hot packs?” The master shook his head and his right hand spread out to pat the space beside him. “I just need a massage, really.”

He nodded slowly and soon kneeled to the space that Jaebum patted. He breathed out a small sigh and his thumbs soon landed right beside his scapulae, digits kneaded into the tight muscles. Jaebum groaned at the release of pain and tensed up a little, only to receive light pressure. “You have to relax…Jaebum,” Mark advised and his palms could feel his muscles spread out slightly. They were well defined, he thought out before his thumbs dug deep into Jaebum’s muscles gradually. 

However, he stopped again as Jaebum chuckled out exhaustingly. “Y’know, that’s the first time you called me just by my name,” He pointed out and Mark blinked a few good times. “It sounds nice when you say it,” Jaebum accidentally muttered out his thoughts before he quickly cleared his throat. Mark raised an eyebrow and continued massaging his master’s back, “And this is your first real time actually talking to me casually…” 

“Hm, so you’re the observant type too,” Jaebum muttered as his eyebrows scrunched together from the pain that radiated throughout his upper back. “Well, you always talk to Youngjae casually…And I wondered when you would do that to me too,” Mark confessed as his thumbs slid down right below his scapulae, finding a knot and kneading out the lumps. 

“I just didn’t think you’d be comfortable with me yet. I know that I made it awkward between us in our first meetings, but I think there’s a lot more to you, Mark,” Jaebum said as his eyes fell shut at the relaxation. 

Mark did feel guilty for restricting information on his own master, especially his past, but he just didn’t want to bring on more stress. He did the exact opposite though and probably made both Jaebum and Jinyoung even more concerned. “I’m sorry. I’m not quite ready to release everything, but once I am, I will tell you guys everything,” He reassured before a moment of silence fell between the two. 

Just as Jaebum was about to open his lips, Mark’s gentle and worried voice rung through his ears. “So…you bought a slave before?” The question made the master open his eyes before his muscles tensed up again.

Mark still kneaded out the knots but gave lighter pressure this time, knowing that he probably struck something in the other. Jaebum gulped and looked a tiny speck of the fabric on the floor before he spoke, “Only one…And he would be the last slave that I would ever buy.”

“His name is Hongbin, right?” Mark continued on and he completely stopped when Jaebum’s back turned away from him. His eyes flickered towards the other only to be caught in a dark and saddened trance. “Yes…And that will be all about Hongbin,” He firmly said before Jaebum flatted out onto his stomach once again. “When I’m ready, I’ll also tell you all about it.”

The slave nodded slowly and proceeded on with the massage, making sure to knead out every knot found in Jaebum’s back. “You know, you shouldn’t overexert yourself. I saw it when you started to struggle with your last set. Your face said everything and your back wasn’t properly straightened either,” Mark’s voice softened.

Jaebum licked his lips and exhaled through his nose shortly as a replacement of a laugh. “You’re really something, Mark. I like that about you.”

Mark’s ears reddened immediately and for once a genuine and warm smile spread across his lips. “Thanks, Jaebum. I like you as a master.” If only Jaebum got to see Mark’s smile, the half moon would have nothing compared to Mark’s gentle lips and bright rows of teeth.

“By the way…my real name,” Mark started as he soon lifted his palms off Jaebum’s sturdy back, his sharp tooth dug into his bottom lip in anxiousness. “It’s Yien.”

Jaebum froze in his place and his eyes widened before he turned around on his back. He stared at Mark and sat up to look at his slave directly in the eye. “Your real name is Yien…Not Mark?” The slave shook his head and kept his gaze with the other, “Mark is my American name. Yien is my real name. That is all I’ll say for now. Take it as a way of being more comfortable with you…”

 - 

_“His real name isn’t Mark?!” Jinyoung exclaimed the very next morning during breakfast as he almost choked on his udon noodles. Jaebum nodded as he slurped some of the soup, “It’s Yien.”_

_Jinyoung took a sip out of his water and stared at the older, “I’ll look back again in the records and maybe I’ll find something. But I have a question…Does Mark know that you’re telling me this?”_

_The older nodded and crossed his arms across his chest, “I did. But I didn’t tell him on what you’re doing…”_

_“Be careful, hyung. If you don’t tell Mark about this…he’s probably gonna get mad…”_

_“I know. I’m trying to find the right time.”_

That very night Jinyoung was hours into the records after he backtracked the years. He flipped the page and licked his index finger before he traced down the tanned color paper that was handwritten. He got to the bottom of the page and his eyes widened as he stopped at the second to the last name.

_Destination: Bae Pier, Seoul, South Korea_

_Arrived from: Lee Pier, California, United States of America_

_Smith Clan_

_Occupants: 2 masters, 1 mistress, 12 bodyguards, 20 slaves, + special equipment_

_…_

_Yien_

_…_

Jinyoung grabbed a piece of paper and pen that was on the top right of the table, scribbling down the information. He looked over at the date and calculated the years. “…He was only 13 when he arrived to South Korea. That’s 11 years ago.” He placed all the documents back together and stood up to rush over to his study room.

Jackson leaned back against the wall of Jinyoung’s bedroom and stared at the master who was in a rush. He scratched the side of his head and bumped his head on top of the woodened wall, a defeated sigh escaping his lips.

Jinyoung found his small notebook again and flipped through the pages quickly, almost ripping part of a page off until he got to the desired page. “Of course she’d also have that information…” He laughed in disbelief to himself before he placed the book back on the shelf, then retreating to his bedroom once again.

“Arrange a meeting with Mistress Suji again for Monday morning,” Jinyoung ordered as he stopped by the entrance to his room, eyes fixed onto the bodyguard outside. Jackson kept his gaze forward, only to emit a short nod with his hands laced together to his front. The younger of the two sighed and walked inside, closing the shoji fully.

The master placed everything away from his mattress and took hold of the string, pulling down to turn off the lights. His back reclined onto the soft mattress and rested his hands behind his head, a weak sigh passed through his lips. It’s been days since his bodyguard wasn’t glued to his side and as Jinyoung’s head turned to the left, he saw the newly formed gap between his mattress and Jackson’s. 

He’s so overdramatic, Jinyoung thought before a groan of frustration slipped through his now dry lips.

Jackson stood outside in an upright position, eyes firm and on the lookout for any suspicious activity. The halls and wings were completely quiet, too still. He could hear the little insects sing to each other and the leaves rustle into the once clean yard.

The male wasn’t even sure of why he suddenly extruded his outburst towards Jinyoung—it could have been jealousy, but even then, Jackson knew that Mark had nothing to do with it. He sighed and blinked his eyes a few times, each blink producing wider eyes as the male tried to stay up. Each night, he was doing overtime just so he doesn’t see Jinyoung that much. 

 _I haven’t been given attention in so long. I can’t help it if I feel easily jealous…_ Jackson sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Was it also the way Jinyoung talked back to him and pushed him away so easily? Jackson was muddled in his thoughts and spent the rest of his night on guard.

 -

Mark found himself more comfortable around Jaebum. Whenever he personally attended to Jaebum in his study room, the two would share glances at each other and smile. For once, Mark appreciated the silence that was accompanied by someone else. Jaebum would talk about his days of working out, how his childhood was, how Jinyoung played a huge role in his maturity, and the times that he would sneak out just to get a glimpse of the market and people. 

The older wished he could talk about his childhood, but he knew that he wasn’t exactly ready yet. His past was too much of a burden on his own self and he just didn’t want to transmit that to Jaebum yet.

The shoji opened up and both males turned their backs to see Youngjae standing there. The youngest bowed and then looked at his master, a soft hum vibrated through his closed lips. “Hyung…Do you want me to pick the flowers for tomorrow?”

Jaebum smiled gently at the youngest and nodded curtly as the pen curled around his left digits. “Yeah. Purple tulips and white carnations as usual,” He voiced out as Youngjae nodded again. The slave twiddled with his fingers in front of him as his eyes dropped down while he talked, “And may I pick daisies again, hyung?”

The master chuckled quietly and turned his whole body around to face the slave, “Youngjae, you know I always say yes to that every year.” The youngest laughed and bowed again, stepping out before he closed the door.

Mark’s body turned over to face his side, legs crossed casually as he stared at him. “What are the flowers for?” He asked before Jaebum’s head turned towards him.

“Come with us tomorrow,” He simply said as Mark’s eyes widened. “But…I have to do landscaping tomorrow,” Mark muttered before Jaebum patted Mark’s thigh in reassurance. “I’m your master, Mark. I’m saying that you should come with us.” 

Mark puckered his lips slightly and whispered in response, “What is tomorrow though?” 

Jaebum exhaled through his nose and turned his body back around to face the table as he spoke, “My father’s death anniversary.”

The elder’s eyes dropped down and soon faced his master, a hand reached out to pat Jaebum’s shoulder. “I’m sorry…I would love to accompany you and Youngjae though.”

The other smiled and let his left hand reach up to pat Mark’s hand, “Thanks, Mark. It’s not just for my father though. It’s also for Youngjae’s mother…and Hongbin.” 

That name, the name that brought an ache towards Jaebum’s heart, the name that rarely left his lips until Mark’s arrival. The name that used to roll off his tongue so easily became difficult, and even though it pained the master, he was learning to grow.

Mark felt guilty for having Jaebum to force that name out of his mouth. He felt guilty that he even brought that name up again, but he was curious and used it as a path to get to know Jaebum more.

However, the mystery of Hongbin was clearly solved: he passed.

The next morning at the crack of dawn, Youngjae woke up Mark to start off their day. The two of them wore black jackets over their plain white shirts and changed into a pair of denim jeans that Jaebum provided both of them. The cooks packed up meals for the three males and any of the other staffs that would be accompanying them. 

This was going to be Mark’s first real outing since his “employment” under Jaebum and for the first time, he felt no negativity of going out of the house. They all went into the car with the driver and bodyguard in the front and Mark, Jaebum, and Youngjae all together in the back. Each person held a bouquet of flowers: Youngjae with the daisies, Jaebum with purple tulips, and Mark with white carnations.

After a quick observation, Mark realized that he was most likely holding onto Hongbin’s flowers. He glanced down at the pure white flowers and hid his lips in sympathy. Hongbin was truly special to Jaebum and there was probably a certain reason why it was these carnations too. He brought his right hand up to feel the texture of the outside layer between the pads of his fingers. They were soft, maybe a little rough, but overall smooth. There were many complex layers, especially at the core of the single carnation.

As the car came to a halt, Mark didn’t realize the gaze that Jaebum had on him throughout the ride. The eyes that flickered from Mark’s side profile to the way he touched the carnations, Jaebum breathed out deeply and moved his eyes forward. “We’re here. Let’s get going.”

The bodyguard and driver stayed outside by the car to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. So instead, three pairs of feet walked through the vast cemetery. The sky was a luscious light blue with little clouds seen—the perfect weather for any activity.

Jaebum led them to the middle of the cemetery where a tall tomb was built. Downwards, it read Jaebum’s father’s name and the amount of years that he served as a master and a well-known politician. The son sighed softly and placed the plants in the metaled circular mold, the dark purple hue standing out against the other tombs beside his.

“Father, I’m here. Our clan hasn’t had any wars, no conflicts, and everything has been neutral now. I hope you’re proud of me, father,” Jaebum spoke softly until he got onto his knees and bowed deeply, hands laid over each other and flat on the gray cement.

The two slaves made eye contact as they stood at their master’s side, soon placing their bouquets down and following suit. Jaebum sat up and held onto his clothed knees, staring at the tombstone that was superior over him.

Jaebum slightly turned his head towards Mark, but his gaze remained on the floor. “My father, I admit, wasn’t the perfect master. He hit his servants, ordered them around harshly, never let them have a moment of pure rest. I hated the rule—and I lost it once he wanted me to hit Youngjae a second time. I went through the pain physically and emotionally from my father. Do I regret it?” A small laugh trickled out of his mouth and he glanced at the male. Mark’s light brown orbs twinkled under the sun and Jaebum for once, poured out all of his feelings.

“I don’t. It just made me a better person. I was out with Jinyoung to watch a boxing match in the city…The night I came back, I entered the second building…and saw my father’s body laid to rest in a pool of blood,” Jaebum’s jaw clenched and Youngjae kept his head held down.

He didn’t want to cry, no tears even threatened to appear in Jaebum’s eyes. But he still felt remorse in his heart. “An arrow was shot right through his heart. The surviving bodyguards said that they left my father in that state because the attackers ordered them to until I came back. It was a direct threat to our family…My father was accused of abusing his money, but I know him. He never did his work falsely, always honestly,” He explained as his eyes traveled up to the tombstone. His hand reached out to place his palm directly over the cool surface of the bottom portion and his eyes closed gradually.

“This happened five years ago, and I was appointed as the new leader of the clan at only the age of 19, barely legal. I feel more of my father’s soul inside of me as each day passes by—but it’s not his evilness, but his goodness.”

Youngjae grabbed his bouquet and kept his head down while his grip tightened around the stems. “I’m sorry, hyung. I should have saved him…I could have…”

Jaebum’s head shot up and he brought his body upright to stare at the younger, “I already said to not apologize, Youngjae. It was clearly my father being targeted and they wouldn’t have stopped unless they got him killed. I don’t want to lose more people.” Youngjae slowly nodded and bowed politely again before he got up to his feet. 

The two stood up afterwards and Jaebum wrapped an arm around Youngjae’s shoulders, right hand squeezed into his shoulder. “None of this…was never your fault, understand?”

Youngjae nodded shortly again and sighed. Mark’s heart squeezed at the scene of Youngjae. He was usually a ball of sunshine, a teacher, and Mark’s closest companion. To see the younger in such a saddened state made Mark’s own mood drop. However, once the two were done with their moment, Youngjae walked over to Mark and tugged him by the sleeve of his coat. 

“I want you to meet my mother, Mark.”

Youngjae settled the flowers down by the gravestone and greeted his mother tenderly with softened eyes gazed at the polished object. Jaebum paid his respects for a few short moments before he went off to another gravestone to give both Youngjae privacy and his own privacy with the other gravestone.

As he begun to tell his story, Mark could feel the warmth, the motherly love that she gave Youngjae every single day, and he envied Youngjae for that. His mother was a loyal servant to Jaebum’s family and was well known amongst other clans as well. His mother married a fellow slave and a year after Youngjae was born. However, Youngjae’s father disappeared one night—he was listed as a runaway that left Youngjae’s mother in despair and utter shock. Youngjae would never know the reason of why his father disappeared but he was thankful of being with his mother.

Youngjae’s mother passed away from an illness but she had one wish: for Youngjae to be happy. No matter what Youngjae does, she’ll fully support him and be proud of him. The child lived up to his promise of following his mother’s footsteps and became Jaebum’s servant at just 11 years old.

“I’m living up to her expectations and I promised to become a great slave just like her. That’s all that matters,” Youngjae whispered as he bowed fully towards the gravestone. Mark soon mirrored his actions and as he straightened up his posture, Mark stuttered quietly. “Hello, Mrs. Choi. Your son has trained me well and I’m sure it would have been a pleasure to meet you. Youngjae is a great man. Thank you for raising such a well-mannered person.”

The younger smiled warmly and slowly stood up, glancing down at the older male. “Thank you, hyung. It really means a lot,” He responded as Mark stood up as well. They bid farewell to his mother and Youngjae guided him towards another section to where Jaebum was sitting down in front of a gravestone.

“This is Hongbin. Maybe Jaebum will tell you the story…but he hasn’t spoken of that story ever since the passing,” Youngjae whispered before they finally reached the gravestone.

Jaebum looked back and flashed a short-lived grin before turning his head back. “Sit down, Mark…I’ll tell you…” He whispered before he felt the presence of Mark beside him. The older showed his condolences and saw the white carnations beautifully in front of the gravestone.

“Hongbin was a slave for me. I bought him from Sho as you heard previously, for double the amount of what he was worth. Sho didn’t want to sell him of course, but we made a deal. If Hongbin chose me then I’d pay the amount, if he chose Sho, I wouldn’t get to buy him at all,” Jaebum started off as his fingers brushed through the short grass.

“Hongbin chose me in the end. Why? We met a few times when Sho and I would visit each other. One day, it was only us and we sort of just clicked…He ended up liking my morals a bit more than Sho’s,” Jaebum continued on as he gulped.

_They loved each other. The times they were alone in Jaebum’s study room, they’d both talk about their lives, how they feel, anything they wanted to talk about. It was an instant attraction between them._

_The first time Jaebum laid his lips on Hongbin’s it felt like he was on a set of clouds. Jaebum was younger and was curious of what it felt like to kiss a man. Hongbin, being the older, complied and was more than open to letting Jaebum experiment._

_Jaebum just didn’t know how much one kiss meant to him afterwards and they continued on their roles as master and servant—with the underlying fact of being in love with each other._

“I received a call from Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi one night about a threat being brought upon their clan and needed backup. By then, guns started to be of use rather than arrows. I only had a little training but Jinyoung and I agreed to help them out,” The master explained before running his hand through his locks.

“We fought…and I got shot a few times…”

_Snippets of red blurred his vision and Jaebum fell to the ground, gun still pointed at the opponents. He triggered and shot three men in a slightly inaccurate aim due to his injuries._

“And all of a sudden Hongbin comes in front of me and steals my gun. He never held a gun before so his aim was of course not accurate at all. He shot one of them though…But it didn’t work.”

_Shots fired on both sides and Jaebum watched Hongbin carefully. However, Hongbin’s back grew still in his knelt position and his arm limply fell down to his side. Jaebum grunted and sat up as quick as he could before Hongbin lied down on his lap._

_“Why did you do that?!” Jaebum screamed as he kneeled down in defeat, back hunched, and his hands trembled in fear. He swayed the body back and forth that was lying down horizontally in front of him._

_A weak smile was brought upon the other’s lips, splotches of blood surrounded his face, and a hand reached out with much struggle to cup Jaebum’s cheek. “You know why…"_

_“I told you to stay back!” Jaebum shouted as tears verged in the corner of his eyes. “You’re not my bodyguard!”_

_Hongbin chuckled in almost a whispered volume and he struggled with his respirations. “Stay strong, Jaebum.”_

_Jaebum shook his head and clenched his jaw, tears streamed down his face before he looked around. His clan and Namjoon’s clan were berserk, watching how every clan was injured in some sort of way. He retrieved his gun and shot at the remaining enemies, screaming to avenge Hongbin’s death._

“We didn’t say I love you to each other. We just knew. But I also knew that Hongbin wanted me to move on and stay strong afterwards,” The master said as he reached out to fix the placement of the flowers. “These white carnations are to symbolize remembrance for him and the love we once shared together. Will I move on? Probably, but I’d have to let go of my feelings first in order to move on or I’d just torture myself.”

Mark’s teeth clenched and his heart squeezed even more. He didn’t know how he was able to take in all this information in such a short amount of time and he was surprised of the tears that he did not shed—but he was certainly hurt.

It was a mixture of pain and an unsettling feeling in the bottom of his stomach. Hearing Jaebum talk about Hongbin in such a high manner made Mark feel lower of his own self. They were able to talk to each other so easily as compared to Mark’s stubbornness. Jaebum has willingly tried to know about Mark and even opened himself up, but what has Mark done in return? Only say his first name and a few other little bits of information.

The older male stared at the ground and reached his right hand out to rest on top of Jaebum’s shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. “I will do my best to make you satisfied. I promise,” Mark whispered as Jaebum’s eyes slowly trailed over to the source.

Jaebum shook his head and grabbed Mark’s hand with his left, squeezing their locked hands together. “I appreciate it, Mark…but please don’t promise anything. What if something happens to you?”

Mark stared up at him and intertwined their fingers together, placing his left hand on top of theirs, “My job is to serve you now, Jaebum. I don’t think I can imagine myself with any other master after being under your care.”

“Don’t promise it then. Just show it instead,” Jaebum beamed while he squeezed Mark’s hand, reluctantly pulling away after a moment. His hand was warm, his own throbbing with the warmth. If Jaebum could, he’d hold his hand for more than just that time, but Hongbin has always been in the back of his head.

Sometimes, Jaebum has seen Hongbin in Mark and it pained him too. He spent his nights thinking of Hongbin even more ever since Mark arrived. Jinyoung warned him that he didn’t want a repeat of what happened—but maybe, just maybe, Jaebum started to think about Mark not just for his past but for his present self too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this concludes the second part of the story!
> 
> i decided to post this since i have to fly back to college, move in, and get settled again :"( by then, updates will be very spruce and i'm still in the works of continuing this.
> 
> however, thank you for all the support that you guys have given me so far! i appreciate it! :")


	3. 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the third part has finally arrived! thank you to everyone that's reading :") the fourth part will be amazing, i promise :")

Sunday morning rolled by and Jinyoung hasn’t spoken more than five sentences to Jackson ever since Friday evening. Their stubbornness got to the both of them, neither wanting to mutter a word. Jinyoung was focused on finding information about Mark to get one special night with Jackson. Jackson on the other hand was frustrated over Jinyoung overworking himself and being infatuated with finding this information. If Jinyoung wanting to spend all his time finding information about Mark, then fine, he can do whatever he wants, Jackson thought.

Mark tended to Jaebum’s company in his study room and sat on the cushion beside Jaebum. The master wrote in his book but Mark didn’t want to be nosy so he glanced at the table blankly. His master called out the slave’s name and the subordinate turned his head to look at him.

“Do you remember the night you were crying in your sleep?” Jaebum asked lowly as he stopped writing in his notebook, eyes slowly traveling towards the slave. Mark’s eyes lowered and he curled his hands into his knees, nodding slowly.

Jaebum sighed quietly and closed his book, not letting his eyes leave the slave who was surrounded by the brown surfaces and color scheme of his study room. “I just have one question…Was it because of your previous master?”

Mark’s jaw clenched and he nodded nervously, not muttering a word in response. Jaebum understood and turned his head back to his table, anger suddenly boiling in his blood. The fact that his former master has emotionally and mentally altered Mark made Jaebum feel unsettled.

“You’re safe now,” Jaebum muttered as he gripped the corners of his book, letting his index finger trail against the rough edges of the pages. Mark nodded again and a small smile spread across his lips, “Thanks, Jaebum…”

The master nodded and glanced over at the small clock rested on the table. “Jinyoung wants to see you by the way. Come back here after you’re done,” Jaebum said whilst Mark’s ears perking up in response. What did Jinyoung have to see Mark for?

Nonetheless, Mark found himself in Jinyoung’s study room with no other slaves harbored inside—only Jackson standing outside on guard. 

“You know Mark, you’ve piqued the interest of both Jaebum and I. Eventually you’ll have to tell Jaebum and I about your past, right?” Jinyoung said as they sat by side, the master’s eyes never leaving Mark’s wavering ones.

Mark let his head down and sighed, “I know, Master Jinyoung. My past is too complicated…sometimes I do not even understand how I got in that place. All I know is that I am happier here.” It warmed Jinyoung to know that they’ve been treating their slaves like actual humans. It was something that both Jinyoung and Jaebum believed in, along with some other clans they’re affiliated with too.

Jinyoung grinned and wrapped an arm around Mark’s shoulders, pulling him close to his side. “I’m glad you feel that way, Mark. Don’t be afraid to say anything either. We appreciate it when people talk about their pasts to us. It helps us a lot, you know?” He reassured while bringing his left arm around the front of Mark’s shoulders, resting his cheek against Mark’s temple.

If Jinyoung had to resort to affection to get information out of Mark, then so be it.

Jackson had other ideas though. He opened the shoji to be welcomed by the cuddled up Mark and Jinyoung, their backs facing him. This was the last straw, Jackson thought as he stomped over to the cuddly partners.

“What the hell is this?” Jackson voiced out, causing both of them to jump in response. Jinyoung unwrapped his arms from Mark and turned around in his seat, crossing his arms. “Jackson, calm down. I’m just comforting Mark.”

The bodyguard scoffed and curled his hands into fists and walked over towards Mark, eyes dark and narrowing in on the slave. “You. This is all your fault,” Jackson’s mouth ran about as his right hand curled around Mark’s collar, bringing him up to his feet.

“Wang Jackson! Put Mark down! What is going on with you?” Jinyoung shouted as he stood up, reaching out for Jackson’s free arm. However, Jinyoung’s hand got slapped away with Jackson’s eyes never leaving Mark’s.

“Jinyoung’s only been paying attention to you. Mark this, Mark that,” Jackson’s mouth continued to run and run, Mark’s eyes terrified and body shaking from the strength.

The master watched how Jackson behaved—he was jealous. “Wang Jackson,” The master called out firmly, about to push Jackson away. However, Jaebum’s voice stopped all movements in the room.

“Jackson, don’t bring Mark into you and Jinyoung’s love quarrel,” Jaebum’s voice echoed as he walked deeper into the room, bringing his hand on top of Jackson’s elbow that was holding Mark up.

“I’ll take Mark and you two can settle this,” The older advised as Jackson’s grip loosened around the slave. “Come with me, Mark,” Jaebum said as he grabbed Mark by the wrist, pulling him out of the room and closing the shoji.

Jackson stood there silently and fumed, letting his fingers clench into tight fists. “If you wanna go follow Mark just to find out about his past even more, go ahead." 

Jinyoung’s hand combed through his hair and he stood in front of Jackson, a soft sigh passing through his lips. “Can you cut it out already? You’re blaming Mark on everything about what I’m doing and he’s literally doing nothing,” Jinyoung started, Jackson’s face contorting at the name.

“Why are you so jealous of Mark anyways?”

Jackson’s ears perked up and he muttered under his breath, “You’ve been so immersed in finding out about Mark…We haven’t even talked for days. I just lacked attention I guess.” Jinyoung rose both of his eyebrows, lips quivered into a small smile, and a little chuckle stifled.

“That’s it? You just lacked attention?” Jinyoung exhaled and shook his head slightly, reaching down to take hold of both of Jackson’s hands, slipping his fingers between the other’s clenched fists. Soon enough, Jackson unclenched them and loosely held onto Jinyoung’s hands, eyes still not making contact with his lover’s.

The master chuckled quietly and brought one of their hands up, pressing his lips softly against the flesh of Jackson’s. “You should have just told me. You know once I start work I like to finish them. This just took a long time to work with,” He whispered against their fingers as he kept his eyes on the other.

“I’m sorry, Jinyoungie. I didn’t mean to degrade Mark that night. I didn’t even mean to get so angry with him either. It’s just that I was jealous,” Jackson voiced out before he finally looked at Jinyoung, his dark brown orbs softened.

The other shook his head and released their other hand, reaching up cup Jackson’s cheek that he slapped during that night. “And I’m sorry for hurting you and not giving you attention…” His thumb drew light circles on top of Jackson’s cheek, bringing their linked hands down in front of them.

“The whole reason why I’m finding all this information out for Jaebum is for us,” Jinyoung admitted only to receive a perplexed look from Jackson. “If I found all the information, Jaebum would be giving us a dinner date at our favorite restaurant. You missed Chinese food and it’s been a long time since you’ve been back home, so I thought—‘” 

Jackson’s lips tugged into a warm grin and he let go of their linked hands, wrapping his arm around Jinyoung’s waist and pulling him flushed against his body. “You should have just said that…” He muttered while his free hand reached up to grab Jinyoung’s hand, removing his hand from his cheek. The bodyguard instead brought his own hand up to cup Jinyoung’s cheek, letting his thumb brush over Jinyoung’s plump lips. “I would have helped you out if you told me that…” 

Jinyoung laughed quietly and leaned down until their lips were centimeters apart. “All for food, huh?” Without a chance for the other to reply their lips molded together perfectly with the kiss sweet and pure. 

After those few pure moments, Jackson pulled away reluctantly and stared at Jinyoung. “All for us,” He whispered before their lips crashed again, this time being much more deeper. 

-

“Are they going to be alright?” Mark asked as he returned to Jaebum’s study room, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t know why Jackson—‘” 

Jaebum chuckled and turned a page in his book, “They’re probably eating each other’s faces or something. Don’t worry about them. Jackson was originally both of our bodyguards, but Jackson just found Jinyoung more attractive.” Mark couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment. It was light and airy, a music to Jaebum’s ears. 

The master’s eyes traveled over to see a pure smile spread across the slave’s lips—Jaebum finally discovered how much he admired Mark’s smile and laugh. He ended up staring at the other, only causing Mark to cock his head to the side.

The slave called out the other’s name and it broke Jaebum’s trance. Jaebum sheepishly chuckled and turned another page, breaking eye contact. “You should smile and laugh more often, Mark. Have you done that a lot with your previous clan?”

Mark’s ears heated up and he hummed softly, shrugging his shoulders in response. “On rare occasions, I guess. Though I’ve never smiled or laughed with my former master,” He replied back and a sense of pride ran through Jaebum’s body. To make a slave who most likely went through such a rough past smile and laugh affirmed that Jaebum was doing something right with his authority. 

“Well, your former master missed out then. You have a great smile and laugh,” The master nonchalantly complimented as he grabbed his pen and marked something down in his book, another smile creeping onto Mark’s lips. 

“Thanks, Jaebum.” 

-

Jinyoung and Jackson arrived at Suji’s house on Monday morning, the both of them sitting down on wooden chairs and a beautifully polished table separated between them and the other side. Bae Suji—the prestigious daughter of an information dealer and granddaughter of the famous pier located in Seoul. Their clan is powerful and part of the top five, but their defense and strength physically lacks which is why they are only the fourth most powerful clan. Jaebum and Jinyoung’s clan being the third meant they were better both physically and with creating a peace that doesn’t involve much violence. They were strong mentally. 

Suji walked into the meeting room with a black fitted dress that ended right above her knees and a black sweater covering arms. They were rich indeed and the Bae Clan loved flaunting it. She sat down across from the couple and spotted the folders that she lent Jinyoung.

“I find that everything was well to your likings?” Suji questioned as she rested her arms on the table, seeing Jinyoung push the folders to her.

“More than well, but of course, I have more questions,” Jinyoung replied as he crossed his arms across his chest. Suji smiled lightly and glanced at the ordered papers and then back up to Jinyoung, “Alright. But first, you said you owe me, Jinyoung-ah.”

Jinyoung nodded and leaned back in the chair, “I stick with my word. What is it?” A sneaky, closed smile spread across Suji’s lips and she leaned forward, tilting her head to the side slightly.

“Match me with Jaebum.”

Jinyoung’s eyebrows furrowed at the request. He should have known something like this would have happened and he should have been more careful with his words. However, he knew Suji could work her way into putting Jinyoung in trouble. As much as he hated it, he had to go through it. 

“Fine. I will try but Jaebum’s a hardheaded person. I can’t guarantee that you two can be matched together,” He warned, only to cause Suji’s lips to quiver into a smirk. 

“Then you better do whatever you can, Jinyoung-ah. Because we wouldn’t want the Shin Clan to know of your doings.” 

The master just nodded and uncrossed his arms, running a hand through his hair, and soon resting his forearms on the table. “Okay, we set our deals. Now tell me, what do you know about the Smith Clan?” 

Suji’s eyes widened and she leaned back in her chair, the clan name all too knowledgeable in her head. Being an information dealer was analytical and required a lot of her storage to be taken up. However, the Smith Clan was easy for her to say every single detail. 

“The Smith Clan? They’re the most powerful international clan based in South Korea. They came here to South Korea since they found no purpose there anymore. Now, they travel amongst our roads and villages, giving loans and collecting them. If you seen on the documents, there are two masters and one mistress. Their special equipment that they brought on board was the top grade guns and various types of knives. Their reputation back in America left a footprint and shapes what future international clans would do in the future,” She recited gracefully, not letting a little stutter leave her lips.

Jinyoung shook his leg in anxiety. The thought of an international clan owning a slave such as Mark—there was no wonder why Mark was scared in front of Jaebum or messing up on the first day. “How do they treat their slaves?”

“Like animals. Give them a pile of food, let them eat, and then work them hard to the core. They’re strict and give harsh punishments. Their slaves are supposed to act a 110% on behavior and are perfect ones too,” She continued; however, she exhaled quietly and ran her hand through her hair, straightening out the loose hairs.

“There’s one thing you should know though…They don’t play by the rules all the time.”

Jinyoung sat himself up on the chair after he slouched and licked his lips, “Then tell me. What do you know about Yien, one of their slaves?”

-

The master sat in the backseat of his car with Jackson beside him. It seemed too surreal to believe all the information that Suji inquired him with. It was too much for him to handle and he clenched his fists that rested on top of his knees. “I can’t believe it.”

Jackson stared at the other and locked his jaw, resting a hand on top of the other’s. Even he was shell-shocked from what he had to sit through, feeling bad for Mark.

_“Yien, he was known to be one of their best slaves. A clan that we have no knowledge of, ironically, sold him legally to them. We just don’t know which clan it was. However, he was sold when he was just a baby so no knowledge on his family heritage either. We do suspect him to be Taiwanese though because of his name. Mark is the American name given by the Smith Clan.”_

_“Why was he found on the road? We don’t know. That information wasn’t disclosed and will be a mystery to us until either side speak about it. The fact that they thrown Mark onto the road must mean that he did something way out of the ordinary to lose their trust.”_

Jinyoung hung his head down and stared at his knees, eyes wide and pupils dilated. “And I have to match up Jaebum and Suji…He never liked her,” He whispered as Jackson tightened his grip on his hand. 

“Besides, I think there actually might be someone else he’s interested in…” 

- 

“Hyung, Jaebum wants you to go to his room tonight. He likes your massages,” Youngjae said as they ate their early dinner in the slave’s dining room. Mark raised an eyebrow and chuckled, nodding at the request.

That night, the slave entered the room after knocking, already seeing Jaebum on his stomach with his torso bare. Jaebum moved his head downwards to stare at the other and he lazily smiled, eyes halfway closed. Mark worked with his hands, smoothing out his back and kneading into the various knots in his back.

“Has Hongbin given you massages before?” Mark asked curiously and Jaebum nodded slowly. “Was he…good?”

Jaebum chuckled and exhaled, “Let me guess, you’re still interested about Hongbin.” Mark looked away and paused his movements on the master’s back as he felt the other move his body around. The slave glanced over to find Jaebum sitting up with a leg propped up and his arm dangling off his knee.

“What do you want to know about Hongbin?” Jaebum asked, his eyes trained onto the other as he watched how Mark wouldn’t want to spare a look. “How did you two fall in love…?”

The master raised an eyebrow and a content smile passed onto his lips. “Attraction at first. I thought Hongbin was handsome when I first saw him with Sho. Then when I actually bought Hongbin, we just…kind of talked about our lives. Something about meeting a stranger and talking about your life stories makes me fall in love with them,” He said in a hushed tone, eyes softened. Mark peeked a glance at the other and noticed how soft Jaebum’s features looked. The fact that Hongbin had such an effect on Jaebum made Mark feel bittersweet. He wasn’t sure why he was acting like this, especially towards a master. Maybe he lacked the love and affection he so craved during his life, and Jaebum was able to fulfill that wish of his. 

“Why are you asking though?” Jaebum asked in a teasing tone, leaning his upper body towards the slave in hopes for the other to answer. Mark shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, “No particular reason. I was just curious.”

“Have you ever fallen in love?” Jaebum asked seriously, teeth gritted against each other in anticipation. Mark’s eyes traced over Jaebum’s features and he shook his head as his answer. 

A wave of relief seemed to have washed over the master and he suddenly slouched more, feeling how previously tense he was. “But…I’ve witnessed two people fall in love. Not only did I help them, but they helped me too,” Mark whispered as he stared at the floor with softened eyes.

“Has anyone ever fallen for you?” Jaebum questioned again only to gain a chuckle from the other’s lips. Mark shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, knowing for a fact that has never been asked that question.

“Nope, and I know it’s a fact. Falling in love as a slave has rare cases,” Mark pointed out as his dark brown orbs traveled back to the master—only to be trapped by his gaze once again. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are. Falling in love happens everywhere and can happen to anyone,” Jaebum retorted calmly with a warm grin sneaking upon his lips.

 - 

The next morning while the two masters were eating their breakfast alone, Jinyoung revealed what he knew to Jaebum. The older stopped eating and placed his chopsticks aside, resting his elbows on top of the table and holding the sides of his head. He knew about the Smith Clan as well after doing so many paperwork regarding international clans and their business deals. Luckily enough he didn’t have to affiliate himself with them but now that he has Mark there is more than just an affiliation. 

“I’ll keep finding out more about the Smith Clan and why they left Mark on the road,” Jinyoung promised and Jaebum nodded slowly. “Thanks, Jinyoung…I’ll help you out now, okay? I wanna find out every single detail about them,” Jaebum whispered as he stared at his food. 

“By the way, how did you find out this information?” Jaebum asked as he looked up at the younger. Jinyoung chuckled sheepishly and stuffed his mouth with food, muttering in between his stuffed mouth, “Suji.” 

Jaebum’s eyebrows furrowed from decoding the word and rested his forearms onto the table, “Suji? Bae Suji? …Should have known, she is the daughter of an information dealer, huh?” He chuckled softly at his own oblivion and picked up his chopsticks again, eating slowly.

“Suji’s a good girl, you know? I heard she’s looking for a suitor,” Jinyoung carefully said as he tried to fulfill his payment to the mistress. However, the younger received no response—no interest from the other. 

Jinyoung only got a nod and another bite out of his own food. “Well, hopefully she finds that suitor. I’m sure her family can’t wait for a new addition,” Jaebum calmly replied back, his voice monotone before he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

 _I got my work cut out for this…_ Jinyoung dreaded as he took one final bite, not finishing all of his food.

“Thanks though, Jinyoung,” Jaebum whispered as he took a sip out of his tea, giving an approving nod. “I’ll set a reservation for you and Jackson when the earliest spot is available,” He pointed out, keeping his promise for the younger. Immediately, a wide smile spread across the other’s face, his signature crinkles formed on the side of his eyes.

Thursday afternoon rolled by and Jinyoung ate his lunch carefully with recurring glances pierced at Jaebum. He placed his chopsticks down and cleared his throat, wiping his mouth with a napkin before he spoke. “We should start inviting Suji more often, now that I think about it. She’s been our friend since we were children…And she is helping us—‘”

Jaebum nodded immediately and gulped down his food, “I agree. We can invite her after the party next Friday. Maybe we can even find out more information about Mark.”

Jinyoung grinned anxiously and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah…More information…”

Later on that evening, Jinyoung groaned while he was rested against the mattress in his room. With the lights turned off, Jackson turned his head to the right to focus on a silhouette of the other’s face. The bodyguard’s eyes trailed from the wrinkled forehead, furrowed eyebrows, scrunched nose, and the puckered lips.

“You’re cute when you get all frustrated,” Jackson cooed while he turned to his side, elbow propped up to cradle his face, and his left arm reached out to pat the younger’s chest. 

Jinyoung opened his eyes and rolled them to the side, swatting his hand away. “Not now, Jackson. I’m genuinely frustrated at this situation.”

The bodyguard sighed in defeat before he genuinely turned concerned for his lover’s stressors. “What’s wrong? Hard to match Jaebum and Suji up?” 

With a heavy sigh, Jinyoung nodded and turned his head to face the other, his bottom lip jutting out. “Yeah. He doesn’t see her as a woman at all—just an information dealer and our friend…Besides, even though I warned him, I have a feeling that he’s getting too attached to Mark already.” 

“Well, it’s simply attraction. I was both yours and Jaebum’s bodyguard before, but you know—I liked you more than him. It was an instinct to just protect you all the time because of how precious you were to me,” Jackson explained sweetly, observing how Jinyoung’s face slowly started to relax.

The corners of Jinyoung’s lips tugged into a warm smile before he turned his body towards the bodyguard, scooting down slightly to wrap his right arm over Jackson’s torso, resting his forehead against the other’s broad chest. 

“I shouldn’t have agreed to that deal…I feel bad now,” Jinyoung whispered until he felt Jackson’s slender digits brush through his black locks. “It’s up to you how you work this all out…You should have honestly talked this out with Jaebum in terms of making deals. You know he’s good at being persuasive,” Jackson replied back only to receive a nod.

The bodyguard chuckled to himself before leaning his head back down onto the pillow, cradling Jinyoung in his hold before the two gradually fell asleep side by side, letting the warmth radiate between them.

 -

“You have a letter, Jaebum,” Mark announced as he entered the study room during the afternoon, fingers from both hands curled around the envelope as he walked to the upper level. He seated himself down next to Jaebum and watched the master take the letter and open it.

Jaebum hummed for a few moments before he folded up the letter again and placed it off to the side. “Have you ever been to a party, Mark?” The slave shook his head and raised an eyebrow.

“Slaves aren’t allowed to go to parties from the clan I was in,” Mark replied quietly. “When that happened, those were our free nights after we cleaned.”

The master nodded slowly and pressed his forearms against the table, “Some clans require them to bring one slave to the party as a way of showing their social standing. It seems quite odd since it’s like we’re using them as objects, but it’s really not. We bring the slaves so then they have a chance to meet others as well.” Mark’s eyes widened slightly from the new information he was absorbing. He’s been in Korea for more than a decade and he has never been beyond his past clan’s walls ever unless told so.

“I mean, I wouldn’t want my slaves to be stuck in here forever, you know? So I’m glad that a lot of clans are on the same terms with parties,” Jaebum explained as his eyes swayed back and forth from the table to Mark’s face.

“I’m guessing you got an invitation to one then?” Mark inferred and then receiving a nod from the younger. “Yup, I officially got one after hearing about the early planning. And I want you to come with me,” Jaebum stated, Mark laughing nervously from the sudden agenda.

“What about Youngjae—I mean—‘”

Jaebum shook his head quickly as his fingers curled into a fist, keeping his eyes gazed onto the other. “You are. You’re actually going to help Youngjae out—He’s not one to go to parties. And besides, I want you to experience this. It seems like you’ve never gone out that much, and I want people to know you. It’s coming up next Friday night. Will you?”

This was something that Mark admired from his master—the willing to be open and actually connect with them. He never had that many connections before and Mark was trying to be cautious—but how can he reject when there’s someone who genuinely wants to know him? With a short nod, Jaebum grinned and reached over to pat the elder’s knee before going back to work.

As Friday approached, their daily lives have been going well. Jinyoung was still struggling with matching the two up, but with Jackson’s constant support, he has been trying his best to make things work out. “Suji will be at the party, you know? You two should talk more,” Jinyoung mentioned at dinner.

Jaebum chuckled and sighed, “You keep talking about Suji, huh? She’s just not my type…As much as I like her, I don’t like her in that way.” Jinyoung clenched his teeth as his eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Ah, c’mon, give her chance at least!”

The older sighed and picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, taking a bite, “We’ll see.”

Once activities and chores came to a halt during the evening, Jaebum exited his study room in gray sweatpants and a black shirt, hair still damp from his previous shower. Right as he exited, he came in sight of a slouched slim back seated against the edge of the floor. Jaebum approached with quiet steps before he got a glimpse of Mark’s side profile. His eyes looked solemn and didn’t even get to notice the master sit down beside him.

Jaebum carefully called out the other’s name, causing Mark to react with a small jump before their eyes met. “You okay?” Jaebum asked before he brought his hands back onto the floor to lean his weight against it.

Mark nodded slowly and glanced down at the grass, his voice soft and weary. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just…thinking about the past.”

The other’s ears perked up, his head tilted to the left slightly as his body turned to his right to give his attention. “What about the past?” Jaebum asked, knowing that at this point, any type of information would at least bring some comfort to the master.

“I have a love-hate relationship with the night, I guess,” The slave muttered as he stole a glance from the younger. He rarely opened up to others—only the ones he was close to at his previous clan. He was never used to opening up to anyone else—especially a master. 

Jaebum clenched his jaw and for a moment, he faltered on actually pressuring the older to speak. “If you don’t wanna talk about it…you don’t have to,” He reassured, wanting to rather have Mark speak when he was ready. 

However, the elder shook his head with a small smile brought upon his tiers. “No, I’ll talk. It’s only fair. When I was in my previous clan, the only free time I had was during the night. I found comfort in the darkness most of the time and even though I could rarely see the stars, I’d imagine them in my head. It sounds weird, I know. Our masters made sure that we could never look at the stars, but they didn’t know our servant quarters had a small window that we could look out of. So whenever I got the chance to, I’d take a few moments to look at the stars.”

Jaebum’s eyebrows rose up in curiosity, but he didn’t know a warm smile crept on his features from Mark’s unknown imagination or how his chest squeezed at the thought of being restricted to the outside.

“Darkness was my only comfort, especially during the night. Yet I was always scared because there was always a slave being hurt. After being in that clan technically since I was born, I finally got punished at 18. All I can blame is my young adult traits of wanting to be free and rebellious,” Mark chuckled to himself at his past self, running his hand through his dark brown locks afterwards.

The master lifted himself forward to sit upright, closing the distance between them slowly to speak. “Well, I can assure you that those memories of hating the night will disappear. Masters who have no respect of their slaves aren’t usually the best in general.”

“You don’t understand,” Mark beamed as his eyes widened in slight terror, turning his head to the left to stare at his superior. “Even if they treated their slaves badly, my former masters and mistress were the one of the best of the best in fighting and reputation.”

“And you still call them the best of the best in reputation after they threw you out on the road? Mark, your masters aren’t the best from what I’m hearing from you. Our system here works differently. The top five clans nationally, which Jinyoung and I are apart of, have developed a rule amongst ourselves. We don’t lay our hands or weapons on our slaves unless they have done something morally wrong. That’s how you get everyone to cooperate when a war happens,” Jaebum explained as he watched Mark’s face smoothen out.

Mark’s head hung down afterwards, fingers tightening against the edge of the woodened floor. “I was the best slave there, Jaebum. I could have lived my life normally if I continued staying there and now…everything is different. New things are happening and I just don’t know what to do anymore.” He was frustrated with how he was exactly feeling. He was utterly confused on what to do or how to act anymore.

Jaebum could notice the discomfort in Mark’s face and a soft sigh escaped the master’s lips. Slowly, the master tucked his fingers underneath the slave’s chin, bringing his head up so their eyes can meet. “You were living your life wrongly, Mark. Now you can change things for the better. We’ll help you,” He reassured before he tipped his head down, eyes glancing up through his fringe to stare at the anxious male. “I’ll help you,” Jaebum murmured before his hand moved over to wrap around the elder’s shoulders, pulling him close and letting the slave’s head rest against his shoulder.

The slave’s eyes widened initially, but he grew comfortable in the younger’s strong hold. His heart slammed against his chest with each pound, cheeks tinted with the lightest shade of pink. Mark still doesn’t know how Jaebum can always say the right words and how each word would hit right at his soul and heart. Nonetheless, it was an offer that Mark found genuine. He closed his eyes and whispered against the master’s shoulder, eyes closed at the warmth. “Thank you, Jaebum…Thank you for trusting me and taking the time to get to know me.”

Jaebum nodded slowly and rested his chin on top of the slave’s head, eyes closed as well. “I promise you I will tell you everything about me one day. Thank you for being patient,” Mark murmured sweetly.

However, the master gulped and opened his eyes slowly, staring blankly at the wet night grass. Jaebum wanted to admit to Mark on what he did, but he was scared. He was scared to have lost that trust in Mark already. Without any other words exchanged, Jaebum wrapped his other arm around the other’s waist and pulled him closer towards him, not wanting to let go for the rest of the night. He did not want to let go of the connection they have—he did not want to let go of what he will potentially break later on.


End file.
